as in stained
not clean
the church's blackened ceiling is the result of centuries of candle smoke
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in dirtied
to make dirty
blackened the towels with their dirty hands
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smeared
to make untrue and harmful statements about
the politician maliciously blackened his opponent's reputation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in darkened
to make dark, dim, or indistinct
thick smoke from the forest fires blackened the sky for many miles
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of blackened
Erinne Magee, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2022
His blackened execution pyre stands in a barren field, a leitmotif driven like a stake through the heart of the film.
—Elle Carroll, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2021
Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
My father’s thumb was huge and blackened.
—Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blackened
Adjective
Menu highlights there include sesame guava toast, conch salad, and a blackened shrimp club wrap.
—Erinne Magee, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Sep. 2022
His blackened execution pyre stands in a barren field, a leitmotif driven like a stake through the heart of the film.
—Elle Carroll, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2021
Verb
Juicy, whole lobster served grilled or blackened is best, though the menu at this famous haunt features every possible iteration of the dish.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
My father’s thumb was huge and blackened.
—Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blackened
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackened
Adjective
-
Gayle Wilson, who once worked as a blackjack dealer, enjoyed sewing and making stained glass, according to Lindley Funeral Homes.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Gently scrub the stained area with a soft bristle brush or clean soft cloth.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Farran asked, gazing at their graves — cardboard signs smeared with handwritten Arabic because the war has made a proper burial in their village impossible.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Later on, Firecracker was tasked with addressing her church's destruction on television and smeared their reputation, betraying her former life and beliefs.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Residents fled as ash fell and smoke darkened the sky, many leaving with little notice as flames approached homes and neighborhoods.—
Corey Schmidt,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Skies darkened around the same time over Lake Norman, with a light rain in Mooresville and a slight pickup in winds.—
DIAMOND VENCES,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Reach-in coolers that didn’t keep food safe from bacteria growth and utensils stored in filthy spots shut down a Miami restaurant after inspection last week.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Stanley dealers were not in cutthroat competition for filthy lucre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Those smudged, hazy glass patio doors are not doing your indoor-outdoor view any favors.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026
-
This spring, expect lips to be blurred, eyeliner to be smudged, and skin to be soft-focus.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That starts with its CEO Barbara Petersen, who spent decades tracking bills that obscured the public right to public information, as head of the First Amendment Foundation.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Giulia Rodighiero, the study’s lead author and an astronomer at the University of Padua in Italy, had wondered whether other large objects, perhaps obscured by their own dust, might be dwelling among JWST’s blue monsters.—
Jenna Ahart,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2020, stargazers flocked to dark sky locations to view the cosmic traveler Neowise, a visible comet then 64 million miles from Earth, with a dusty tail extending more than a million miles.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The dusty chocolate coating is bitter and unpleasant, and there isn’t enough salt to offset it.—
Alex Beggs,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blackened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackened. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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